I "retired" from the corporate world a couple of years ago because I wanted to experience a real life after years of 80 hour work weeks and constant travel. A year later I realized that I was having a really good time, was always busy (how did i ever fit in a job??) and needed a creative outlet to share my experiences. Now I split my time between California and New Mexico but, wherever I am, I write about delicious, fresh, local, organic/sustainably grown food.

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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Fall weather has hit northern New Mexico big time. The past few days have been beautiful with temperatures in the mid to high 70s during the afternoons. But...the nights. Oh, the nights. I woke up this morning to 34 degrees. So when Food Network assigned us cauliflower for this week's Fall Fest roundup, I immediately thought of soup.

I love this recipe. Creamy cauliflower blended with sauteed leeks, garlic, chipotle chiles and smoked paprika for a bit of heat & smoke, perfect for lunch or an easy dinner paired with salad and good bread. Just what I want when the nights are chilly. I keep it light with vegetable or chicken stock and nut milk (almond or coconut) instead of heavy cream. There is just a touch of Parmigiano-Reggiano for flavor and richness without adding a ton of calories. Delicious, healthy, spicy... It just doesn't get better than that. Enjoy the soup!

Smokey Cauliflower Soup with Parmigiano-Reggiano6 main dish servingsextra virgin olive oil1 large leek, chopped2 stalks celery, chopped3 garlic cloves, chopped1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets1 chipotle chili pepper, chopped1 tsp smoked paprika4 cups (approx) organic vegetable or chicken stock (or homemade)1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving1/2 cup almond or coconut milksea saltblack pepper1/2 cup chopped green onions or chivesIn a large stockpot, saute leek and celery in 2 tbsp olive oil until softened. (about 6 minutes over medium-high heat) Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add cauliflower, chipotle, paprika and small pinch each salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add enough stock to cover vegetables. (you may not need all 4 cups). Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.Using an immersion blender, puree soup until very smooth. (Alternatively, you can process in batches in a processor or blender but be careful as the soup is very hot). Stir in the cheese and milk and continue cooking until cheese is melted. (about 5 minutes). Add additional stock or milk if soup is too thick.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve in large bowls topped with a drizzle of best quality extra virgin olive oil, additional shredded cheese and a sprinkling of chives.Click Here For Printer Friendly Recipe

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Happy Fall everyone! Can you believe summer is over? It has been rainy and cool the past couple of months so it has not felt much like summer in Taos. (But the rains have been amazing helping to end our drought. Now we need the rains to move to Napa!) I was at the beautiful farmers' market in Santa Fe, New Mexico last weekend and, while there were tons of end-of-summer produce like tomatoes, zucchini, corn, berries, peaches and peppers, many vendors had bushels of apples ready for sale.

Apples always remind me of fall. The scent of them baking in the oven, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg is home to me so it is the perfect item to kick off this year's Food Network's Fall Fest. The schedule is as follows:SEPTEMBER 25: Apples

DECEMBER4: Holiday cookies11: Holiday-themed beverage 18: Holiday side dish My apple submission? How about Apple & Chocolate Cake?" Inspired by a cake in the Moosewood Restaurant Book-Desserts, their version first introduced me to the concept of using vinegar and oil in a cake instead of butter and eggs. Thank you Moosewood! This cake is also delicious without the apples..a bit lighter and more "cakey". The apples make it dense, moist and really fudgy so you have options depending on what type of cake you want. Try both versions (exact same recipe...just leave out the apple) and please let me know what you think. I have also made this cake using figs, zucchini and pears in place of the apples. As you can tell, I love this recipe. Hope you give it a try. Please tell me what you think in the comments section at the end of this post.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt cake pan using extra virgin olive oil. Add the first 6 ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Add rest of ingredients and stir, using the paddle attachment, until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45 min to 1 hour. Test for doneness by sticking a skewer, chopstick or knife into the center of the cake. If your tester is clean when you remove, the cake is ready. Rest on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert onto cake plate and allow to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. (This is also delicious with a chocolate glaze drizzled over the cake and served with ice cream or fresh fruit.)Click Here For Printer Friendly Recipe

It is "Apple" week at Food Network's Fall Festroundup. Do you have a favorite apple recipe? Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

This is the onion dip to top all onion dips. No packaged soup mix here. Imagine slow roasted caramelized sweet Walla Walla onions combined with crunchy green onions and organic dried minced onions all stirred into sour cream and mayonnaise. The fresh vegetables and herbs really make the difference. So, so good.

Of course, this dip is perfect with chips, pretzels or vegetables, but I also like to use as a sandwich spread with roast beef...or as a topping for roast chicken. Try stirred into mashed potatoes...as a dip for french fries or spooned on baked potatoes (Hmm, kind of a potato theme going on here). Keep this in mind for your next party or family get-together (Sunday afternoon football watching anyone?) Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Perfect for lunch or a light dinner, this salad is fast, fresh and delicious. Fresh shrimp marinated in a lime vinaigrette then grilled and added to a salad piled high with buttery avocado, spicy arugula and sweet red onion. This dish is also nice stuffed into warm corn tortillas for tacos or layered onto fresh, toasted french or sourdough rolls for a wonderful seafood sandwich. Enjoy!

About Me

A former Corporate Senior Executive with over 25 years’ experience with companies such as Banana Republic, J Crew and most recently Senior Vice President with Levi Strauss & Co., Diane now focuses her time helping for-profit and not-for-profit organizations develop their strategic management, business development, financial objectives, and customer service skills leading to profitable and brand enhancing growth.

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Diane is also an experienced bookkeeper and excels at providing accurate and timely financial statements for her clients. She stands apart from typical bookkeepers in that she teaches her clients how to read the reports and make fact-based business decisions based on their monthly balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports.